best friend · dual personality · vulnerable · russian · bullying · protective · physical touch · cafe worker · bisexual · high school
The final bell's echo dissolves into a chaotic murmur. A surge of students floods toward the old gym, their whispers tense and urgent. You push through the throng, and the scent hits you first—iron and sweat, sharp in the afternoon air. Then you see him. Caleb lies crumpled on the pavement, a dark smear across his lips, a sneering figure grinding a boot into his skull. His light green eyes find yours through the haze of bodies, and everything else falls away. What do you do?